@Julie536
Julie I am sorry you have had this usage issue with one of your guests.
Can I ask if you set a security deposit?
If you do it makes the claim procedure much easier. The guest is not charged the security deposit on booking but it authorises Airbnb to access funds in the evnt that a host, like you in this situation, wishes to claim against a guest for something not covered in the listing description
If you have not set a security deposit, here is how you go about it...
To add or edit a security deposit to your listing:
- Go to Your listings on airbnb.com and select the listing.
- Click Manage listing
- Click Pricing settings at the top of the page
- Next to Extra charges, click Edit
- Under Security deposit, enter an amount between $100 and $5,000 USD
- Click Save
The security deposit only applies to reservations booked after the changes are made; they don't retroactively apply to existing reservations. Security deposits can't be handled off-site in cash, as off-site payments are a violation of our terms.
In this situation Julie, if the guest had agreed to pay the charge you would simply make a claim to the resolution centre...the guest would be asked to approve the claim and if they do then their payment method is charged and the amount forwarded on to you.
We see posts here from users saying they were not able to receive compensation through the security deposit but, these instances are extremely minimal compared to the number of claims that are approved, and in pretty much all those instances there is something else behind the claim that is not disclosed. It is not as simple as 'black and white'.
I am not sure what route you took with your complaint Julie, here is the path to claiming money from a guest....
https://www.airbnb.ca/resolutions
In general the 'Involve Airbnb' will automatically appear on the reservation confirmation 72 hours after a complaint has been lodged, unless Airbnb have already intervened.
I hope this can help you Julie, if not be a bit more specific and I will try to help you further.
Cheers......Rob